Tail gunner exhaust muffler

ABSTRACT

A muffler for a vehicle includes a cover for the muffler, a turbine being rotated by exhaust gas from said vehicle, and a rotatable element being rotated by said turbine.

BACKGROUND

Vehicular exhaust mufflers typically include a tubular outer shelldefining an oval or circular cross section and a pair of opposed headsmechanically connected to the shell. The shell is generally formed fromone or more sheets of metal that are wrapped into the tubularconfiguration and are secured by a longitudinally extending seam.

The internal configurations of mufflers have been varied and have beendetermined both by the available space available and the particularcharacteristics of the sound produced by the exhaust gases of a specificengine. The prior art muffler may include an array of tubes extendingbetween and connected to the inlet and outlet. These tubes maycommunicate with one or more expansion chambers defined by a bafflewithin the muffler. The size of the tuning tubes and the resonatingchambers are selected in accordance with the frequency of the noise tobe attenuated.

SUMMARY

The present invention includes a muffler that includes a turbine torotate longitudinal elements. A portion of the longitudinal elements arelocated within the muffler cover while the remaining portion of thelongitudinal elements is positioned outside of the muffler cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an outlet of the muffle of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an inlet of the muffler;

FIG. 5 illustrates alternates for the rototable element;

FIG. 6 illustrates the bearing between each pair of plates;

FIG. 7 illustrates a muffler and motorcycle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a muffler cover 100 to cover the internal muffler parts.The muffler cover 100 includes a muffler neck 150 to allow the enginegases to enter the muffler, a muffler enclosure 154 to contain theengine gas and conduct the engine gas to the outlet of the muffle andaway from

The vehicle which could be an automobile, a tractor, a motorcycle or atruck, and a sloping portion 152 to connect the muffler neck 150 withthe muffler enclosure 152. The end or outlet of the muffler cover 100 isopen to allow the exhaust gas to escape to the atmosphere. The mufflercover 100 is attached to an exhaust frame which includes a longitudinalframe 102 and perpendicular frames 104, 106. by fasteners 160, Thesefasteners 160 could be bolts to clamp the muffler enclosure 154 to thelongitudinal frame 102. The longitudinal frame 102 extends thought theoutlet of the muffler cover 100 to support the longitudinal element 170.Connected between the perpendicular frame 104 and the perpendicularframe 106 is a shaft 140 to allow rotation of turbine 120 andlongitudinal element 170. FIG. 1 shows 4 longitudinal element 170; sixor any number could be used. The turbine 120 is located between theperpendicular frame 104 and the perpendicular frame 106. The shaft 140is connected to perpendicular frame 104 and perpendicular frame 106 byfasteners 162. The longitudinal element 170 is in a spaced relation toshaft 140 and may be a cylinder. The longitudinal element 170 isconnected to the shaft 140 by spacers 130. A portion of longitudinalelement 170 is covered by muffler enclosure 154 and the remainingportion of longitudinal element 170 extends through the outlet of themuffler 170. The spacer 130 s connected to the turbine 120 by supportelement 110 by fasteners 164. Multiple support elements 110 are shown inFIG. 1. The shape of spacer 130 and the distance from longitudinalelement 170 to shaft 140 determines the spaced relationship. As shown,longitudinal element 170 is a cylinder, but other shapes are possiblesuch as a rectangle or a triangle as shown in FIG. 5. The rotation ofthese longitudinal elements 170 promote the flow of exhaust gases fromthe muffler and motor by mixing fresh air with the exhaust gases. Aturbine 120 having turbine element 122 which extends from turbine 120 isrotated by the hot gases from the engine of the vehicle enter frommuffler neck 150 and pass into the muffler enclosure 154 and then passthrough the turbine 120. The turbine 120 is positioned within themuffler enclosure 154. The diameter of the turbine 120 is less than theinternal diameter of the muffler enclosure 154 so that the turbine 120can freely rotate on shaft 140 but prevents the hot gas from bypassingthe turbine 120. The hot gases are forced to pass through the turbine120 thereby turning the turbine 120.

As the gases pass though the turbine 120, the hot gases turn the turbine120 and the longitudinal element 170 by virtue of the connection to theshaft 140, spacer 130 and support element 110.

FIG. 3 shows the output of the muffler while FIG. 4 shows the input ofthe muffler.

FIG. 2 show another embodiment of the present invention and shows amuffler cover 200 to cover the internal muffler parts. The muffler cover200 includes a muffler neck 250 to allow the engine gases to enter themuffler, a muffler enclosure 254 to contain the engine gas and conductthe engine gas to the outside of the vehicle which could be aautomobile, a tractor, a motorcycle or a truck, and a sloping portion252 to connect the muffler neck 250 with the muffler enclosure 254. Theoutput of the muffler cover 200 is open to allow the exhaust gas toescape to the atmosphere. The muffler cover 200 is attached to anexhaust frame which includes a longitudinal frame 202 and perpendicularframes 204, 206. by fasteners 260, These fasteners 260 could be bolts toclamp the muffler enclosure 254 to the longitudinal frame 202. Connectedbetween the perpendicular frame 204 and the perpendicular frame 206 is aportion of the shaft 240 to allow rotation of turbine 220 andlongitudinal element 270. The turbine 220 is not positioned between theperpendicular frame 204 and the perpendicular frame 206 but is locatedwith a spaced relation to perpendicular frame 206 by extending the shaft240. The shaft 140 is connected to perpendicular frame 204 andperpendicular frame 206 by fasteners 262. The longitudinal element 270is in a spaced relation to shaft 240 and may be a cylinder or aplurality of cylinders. The longitudinal element 270 is connected to theshaft 240 by spacers 230. FIG. 2 shows shorter longitudinal elements 270than the corresponding longitudinal element 270. A portion of thelongitudinal element 270 is positioned within the muffler enclosure 252,and the remaining portion of the longitudinal element 270 extends beyondthe outlet of the muffler. The result is the longitudinal element 202and the perpendicular frames 204 and 206 are within the mufflerenclosure 254. The shape of spacer 230 and the distance fromlongitudinal element 270 to shaft 240 determines the spacedrelationship. As shown, longitudinal element 270 is a cylinder but othershapes are possible such as a rectangle or a triangle. The rotation ofthese longitudinal elements 270, which may be four, six or any numberpromote the flow of exhaust gases from the muffler and motor by mixingfresh air with the exhaust gases. A turbine 220 having turbine element222 which extends from turbine 220 is positioned within the mufflerenclosure 254. The diameter of the turbine 220 is less than the internaldiameter of the muffler enclosure 254 so that the turbine 220 can freelyrotate on shaft 240 but prevents the hot gas from bypassing the turbine220. The hot gases are forced to pass through the turbine 220 therebyturning the turbine 220.

The hot gases from the engine enter from muffler neck 250 and pass intothe muffler enclosure 254 and then pass through the turbine 220. As thegases pass though the turbine 220, the hot gases turn the turbine 220and the longitudinal element 270 by virtue of the connection to shaft240 and spacer 230.

FIG. 6 illustrates the bearing between each pair of plates;

FIG. 7 illustrates a muffler and motorcycle.

1) A muffler for a vehicle, comprising: a cover for said muffler; aturbine being rotated by exhaust gas from said vehicle; a rotatableelement being rotated by said turbine. 2) A muffler for a vehicle as inclaim 1, wherein said rotatable element is a cylinder. 3) A muffler fora vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element extends beyondsaid cover of said muffler. 4) A muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1,wherein said rotatable element is a rectangle. 5) A muffler for avehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is triangular inshape. 6) A muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said vehicle isan automobile. 7) A muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein saidvehicle is a motorcycle. 8) A method for producing a muffler for avehicle, comprising the steps of: forming a cover for said muffler;forming a turbine being rotated by exhaust gas from said vehicle;rotating a rotatable element by said turbine. 9) A method for producinga muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element isa cylinder. 10) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle as inclaim 1, wherein said rotatable element is formed to extend beyond saidcover of said muffler. 11) A method for producing a muffler for avehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is formed as arectangle. 12) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle as inclaim 1, wherein said rotatable element is formed is a triangular shape.13) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1,wherein said vehicle is an automobile. 14) A method for producing amuffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said vehicle is amotorcycle. 15) A system using a muffler for a vehicle, comprising: acover for said muffler; a turbine being rotated by exhaust gas from saidvehicle; a rotatable element being rotated by said turbine. 16) A systemusing a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatableelement is a cylinder. 17) A system using a muffler for a vehicle as inclaim 1, wherein said rotatable element extends beyond said cover ofsaid muffler. 18) A system using a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1,wherein said rotatable element is a rectangle. 19) A system using amuffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element istriangular in shape. 20) A system using a. 21) muffler for a vehicle asin claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a motorcycle.